Hospital exercise bar

ABSTRACT

An exercise bar comprises a bifurcated base portion having horizontally extending feet which extend into respective hollow posts of the longitudinal members of a hospital bed. The bifurcated part is joined above the bed top and provides a swivel mount for an angle arm member which has one part which is rotatable in the swivel mount and another part which extends outwardly therefrom for positioning in a horizontal position over the bed. The horizontal part of the angle bar may be engaged by a patient for the purpose of lifting himself up in the bed. The bar may be shifted to any desired angular position in respect to a central mounting on the bed and it may be mounted at either the head or the foot thereof.

Benoit et a1.

[ Mar. 4, 1975 1 1 HOSPITAL EXERCISE BAR [75] Inventors: Roland A. Benoit; Edmond P.

Guillot, both of Danielson, Conn.

[73] Assignee: lnterroyal Corporation, New York.

[22] Filed: June 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 263,356

Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant E.\'aminer-Andrew M. Calvert 1 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur A. March, Esq.

[57} ABSTRACT An exercise bar comprises a bifurcated base portion having horizontally extending feet which extend into respective hollow posts of the longitudinal members of a hospital bed. The bifurcated part is joined above the bed top and provides a swivel mount for an angle arm member which has one part which is rotatable in the swivel mount and another part which extends outwardly therefrom for positioning in a horizontal position over the bed. The horizontal part of the angle bar may be engaged by a patient for the purpose of lifting himself up in the bed. The bar may be shifted to any desired angular position in respect to a central mounting on the bed and it may be mounted at either the head or the foot thereof.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] "AR 41975 sum 2 or 2 F/G. 5 a; W /Q I BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention v This invention relates in general to the construction of exercising devices and in particular to a new and useful device employable with a hospital bed which may be simply mounted to the bed frame and provides means for engagement by a patient to perform exercises.

2. Background of the Prior Art At the present time exercising devices are known which may be associated with beds and which may be used by the occupant for the purpose of performing exercises. Such devices are very complicated in construction and are of a permanent nature and cannot easily be detached from a fixed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided an inexpensive and lightweight device which may be easily and readily attached to a-hospital bed frame or any other bed frame having a longitudinally extending hollow support member of the framewhich may be engaged by correspondingly extending foot portions of a bifurcated base of an exercise member. The exercise member provides a simple U-shaped base having horizontally projecting feet which engage into hollow longitudinal bed frame members at each side of the bed and which provides a central swivel mount for a bar member'which may be pivoted to to extend over the bed or oriented at any angle in respect to its mounting. The bar may be mounted either at the foot or at the head of the bed.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved exercising device which includes foot-portions for mounting the device which are engageable in longitudinal support elements of a bed frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved exercising device which includes a base portion having means for engaging each end in a bed post or similar support and which includes a central pivotal mounting for an angle bar member which forms an exercise bar and which may be pivoted to a selected angle to position a horizontal portion thereof at a desired exercise position.-

A further object of the invention is to provide an exercise bar construction which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawing:

FIG. I is a top front perspective view of a hospital bed having an exercise bar thereon constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the bar shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partly broken away; FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG.

2 FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the swivel joint portion of the device shown in FIG. 1.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing in particular the invention embodied therein comprises an exercise device generally designated 10 which is adapted to beused with an ordinary bed or a hospital bed 12 which in the drawing comprises an adjustable bed having a wheelable base 14. The bed 12 includes longitudinal frame or side rail members 16 and 18 which comprises hollow tubes or include hollow tubular end portions.

In accordance with the invention the exercise device includes bifurcated base portion 20 which has an upper end providing a swivel-mount 22 rotatably receiving an exercise bar 24 in the form of an angle member which includes a vertical portion 240 and a horizontal portion 24b.

In the embodiment illustrated the bifurcated base portion 20 includes a pair of foot portions 25 and 26 which are arranged at the respective ends of outwardly curved legs 20a and 20b and-spaced at their ends to approximately the bed width. These legs are arranged to extend horizontally and telescopically into the hollow tubular longitudinal members 16 and 18 respectively for supporting the exercise device.

In accordance witha feature of the invention each foot portion 25 and 26 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 carries a spring plate 28 having one end 28a engaged in the associated foot portion and an opposite end portion 28b which is offset from the first portion andwhich is biased outwardly away from a side of the foot portion 26 as shown in FIG. 5. The opposite end carries a button or location member 30 which enages through an opening in a longitudinal member 18 of the bed in order to secure the foot portion in position. to release the foot portions 26 and 28 the associated button 30 of the springs 28 must be depressed.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the swivel mounting portion 22 includes a collar 32 which interconnects the leg portions 20a and 20b and which is provided with an opening 34 for rotatably receiving the vertical leg portion 24a of the exercise bar member 24. A bridge member 36 located below the collar 32 also interconnects the leg portion 20a and 20b, and it is provided with an opening 38 aligned below the opening 34. The bar member 34 is inserted through the openings 34 and 36, until a collar 40 which is affixed to the vertical portion 24a of the bar member 24, at a spaced location from the lower end thereof, rests on the top of the top collar 32. The collar 40 is provided with a region of a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 42 which accommodate a projection 44 of the collar 32. The position'of the horizontal member 24b may be adjusted to extend at any desired angle as shown in the dotted and solid line position of FIG. 2 by selecting an opening or notch 42 into which the projection 44 is engaged.

Thus the invention provides an exercising device I0 which may be engaged at either the head of foot of a bed 12 by engaging foot members 25 and 26 into the hollow longitudinal members 16 and 18 of the bed 12. An exercise bar member 24 may be oriented on the base portion 20 of the exercise device so as to position the horizontal portion 24b at'any desired angle for engagement by the occupant of the bed. The device may be arranged either at the head or the foot and the bar 24 may be of any desired length.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise device which is adapted to be used .with a bed frame having a pair of hollow tubular frame members at each side and spaced approximately the width of the bed member, comprising a bifurcated base portion whose lower ends spread to the width of the separate hollow tubular frame members and have a foot at each side which is telescopically engageable into the respective hollow tubular frame member at each side of the bed to sustain said base portion, an exercise bar support frame secured to the outer ends of the base member, and an excercise bar portion pivotally mounted on said base portion and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom for location over the bed.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a swivel mounting portion, and means for rotatably supporting said bar portion in said swivel mounting portion.

3.'A device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a spring locking means on each foot portion extending outwardly therefrom and means to bias the locking means' into engagement with the receiving tubular member of the bed.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the bed tubular member has a receiving opening, the spring locking means including a projection thereon which is adapted to be located into a receiving opening of the hollow tubular member of said bed frame.

5. An exercising device according to claim 1, wherein said bar member includes a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, means to pivotally mount the said vertical portion on said base portion and means on said base portion for holding said bar at a fixed angular position relative to the frame.

6.'An exercising device comprising a bifurcated base having a leg on each side, a foot member extending horizontally outwardly from the lower end of each of said legs, a support means, means on said foot for normally and fixedly engaging it with said support, a collar plate interconnecting each of said legs and having an opening for locating the legs, an angle-shaped exercise bar member having a vertical and substantially horizontal section means for engaging the vertical portion of the exercise bar in the opening of said collar plate, and means for maintaining and positioning the horizontal portion at a selectedangle relative to the vertical portion.

7. An exercise device according to claim 6, wherein said collar includes a projection, said vertical portion of said exercise bar member also having a circumferential collar with a portion of its circumference having a plurality of peripherally spaced notches which are of a size to engage over the projection on said collr plate, means to provide a selective operation of said bar member to positions selected to one of said notches in alignment with said projection for engagement and fixing of said exercise bar member in a selected angular position.

8. A device according to claim 7, including a bridge member located below said collar plate and having an opening through which said vertical portion of said exercise bar member extends.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein each of said foot members include a horizontally extending plate member and a spring carried on said plate member projecting outwardly from a side thereof and adapted to bear in biased engagement with the interior of a receiving hollow tube of the bed frame. 

1. An exercise device which is adapted to be used with a bed frame having a pair of hollow tubular frame members at each side and spaced approximately the width of the bed member, comprising a bifurcated base portion whose lower ends spread to the width of the separate hollow tubular frame members and have a foot at each side which is telescopically engageable into the respective hollow tubular frame member at each side of the bed to sustain said base portion, an exercise bar support frame secured to the outer ends of the base member, and an excercise bar portion pivotally mounted on said base portion and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom for location over the bed.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a swivel mounting portion, and means for rotatably supporting said bar portion in said swivel mounting portion.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a spring locking means on each foot portion extending outwardly therefrom and means to bias the locking means into engagement with the receiving tubular member of the bed.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the bed tubular member has a receiving opening, the spring locking means including a projection thereon which is adapted to be located into a receiving opening of the hollow tubular member of said bed frame.
 5. An exercising device according to claim 1, wherein said bar member includes a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, means to pivotally mount the said vertical portion on said base portion and means on said base portion for holding said bar at a fixed angular position relative to the frame.
 6. An exercising device comprising a bifurcated base having a leg on each side, a foot member extending horizontally outwardly from the lower end of each of said legs, a support means, means on said foot for normally and fixedly engaging it with said support, a collar plate interconnecting each of said legs and having an opening for locating the legs, an angle-shaped exercise bar member having a vertical and substantially horizontal section means for engaging the vertical portion of the exercise bar in the opening of said collar plate, and means for maintaining and positioning the horizontal portion at a selected angle relative to the vertical portion.
 7. An exercise device according to claim 6, wherein said collar includes a projection, said vertical portion of said exercise bar member also having a circumferential collar with a portion of its circumference having a plurality of peripherally spaced notches which are of a size to engage over the projection on said collr plate, means to provide a selective operation of said bar member to positions selected to one of said notches in alignment with said projection for engagement and fixing of said exercise bar member in a selected angular position.
 8. A device according to claim 7, including a bridge member located below said collar plate and having an opening through which said vertical portion of said exercise bar member extends.
 9. A device according to claim 7, wherein each of said foot members include a horizontally extending plate member and a spring carried on said plate member projecting outwardly from a side thereof and adapted to bear in biased engagement with the interior of a receiving hollow tube of the bed frame. 